Chiefs, No. 1 draft pick Eric Fisher pleased with first day of practice

Kansas City Star | May 11

Life started to get back to normal for Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher on Friday. He was a football player again.

Fisher merely did the things that helped make him the first overall pick in the NFL Draft last month. He attended team meetings and participated in practice at the opening of the three-day rookie camp at the Chiefs’ Truman Sports Complex practice facility.

But unlike he did at any of his collegiate practices at Central Michigan, Fisher did these things under the weight of some heavy expectations.

“I’m just trying to keep a level head,” Fisher said. “You can’t really get ahead of yourself or let the expectations get to you or let the pressure get to you. It’s good be here, finally.”

As the first pick in the draft, Fisher will have to live with those expectations, for better or worse. He got a lesson just how different his life would be the morning after the draft.

He boarded a plane from New York to Kansas City, and as he walked past the cockpit, he was recognized by the captain, who asked Fisher to pose for a photo.

Fisher may eventually be able to live up to the expectations the Chiefs have for him if he can block out those kinds of distractions.

“Life hasn’t changed much, but obviously there’s more attention,” Fisher said. “It’s just something that comes along with it. Coming from Central Michigan, I guess I wasn’t really used to it so it took a little bit of adapting to. But it’s a pretty fun life.

In his initial practice with the Chiefs, Fisher lined up at right tackle, which will apparently be his position. Coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs would hold the left tackle spot open for Branden Albert, who has told the Chiefs he will report in time for full-squad practices that resume on Tuesday.